Grey Eyed Glances
by MewMidnight
Summary: Picking between your first love and the man of your dreams isn't ever easy, which Ichigo is about to find out. Betrayal is imminent. R and R!
1. New Thoughts

Description: Ichigo keeps getting little bits of attention from Keiichiro, the new-ness of the flirting is driving her nuts. It also makes her feel guilty. Can Ichigo pick between her first love and the man of her dreams?

Rating: T Just to be Safe

Couples: KeiichiroxIchigo, MasayaxIchigo.

[][][][][][][][][][]

"I looked at him as a friend, then I realize I loved him."

-Anonymous

The days were fleeting and trivial. Nothing exciting. Nothing New.

A red haired girl walked through the cafe towards the kitchen. The smell of cakes wafted through. Something had been off lately. Ichigo had felt different. She didn't crave being around Masaya so much. They had been together for almost a year now and were on the dull side of their relationship. Everything they did, was dull and in a routine. Ichigo loved Masaya, but she didn't want this routine anymore. About a month ago, she had mentioned the situation to her boyfriend. Masaya acted as though he took her seriously, but nothing really changed.

The two of them seemed dull again. Ichigo was tired of it.

Her brown glassy eyes flitted through to the kitchen, a tall man hummed as he stirred batter in a huge bowl. The cat mew put the dirty plates in the huge dish washer, she smiled in passing to the humming chef. Keiichiro observed her actions for a few moments. Ichigo seemed flustered.

"You all right Momomiya-san?"

The red head looked up at him, she weakly smiled, he saw right through it. Her voice was filled with forced kindness,

"I'm fine."

Keiichiro chuckled and began pouring the batter into a cake mold, his tone was genuinely kind,

"You don't have to tell me. But if you feel like talking you know I'm here. "

Ichigo felt sort of guilty, he was just being nice, she smiled up at him,

"So sorry Akasaka-san. I didn't mean-"

"No! Momomiya-san its completely fine. I've just noticed you aren't acting the same, and I was just concerned."

The girl nodded and she opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by someone entering the kitchen. Masaya smiled over at her warmly as he approached them, he leaned in and planted a dainty kiss on her cheek.

"Good afternoon Ichigo!"

Her eyes fell past Masaya as she smiled at her boyfriend passively, Keiichiro wasn't looking at them. His smile was just slight, and his concentration was no longer directed at Ichigo. The red head dismissed the whole situation and followed Masaya out of the kitchen and carried on with her own day. The chef kept to himself for most of the day, he kept smiling to himself throughout the day. What would the next few days bring for him? He wasn't sure. Keiichiro had been a bit tired of his usual schedule, but would never think of leaving the cafe.

…

A few days later, Ichigo was on her way out of the cafe. Masaya hadn't worked that day because he got a new job and had just come to pick her up after work. He got a job at a local zoo as a tourguide, and he loved the new job. He got something out of the locker room as she waited for him to come out front. The cat girl jumped out and hugged Masaya. She seemed to space out as she glanced through the kitchen window, a tall brown haired man stared through at her. His eyes were smiling to her, his lips barely curved in a smile at all. His deep gray eyes sent a chill up her spine.

Masaya grabbed her hand, the contact startling her and causing her to look away and get back to her boyfriend. Ichigo followed his lead as they exited the cafe, Keiichiro's stare stuck in her head. She never was bothered so much by his flirting until now for some reason. She bit her lip as they got in the car to leave, could it be because she and Masaya were slowly having a falling out?

…

The next couple days were kind of a disappointment. The cafe was quiet, nothing really that exciting happened. Except Thursday.

The red head rushed through the cafe, there were a lot of customers and Mint and Purin weren't working that day. Ichigo practically tossed the plates on people's tables and rushed back and forth from the kitchen window. The cat mew was asked to get some more silverware, which was in the back of the kitchen. The lead mew rushed back into the kitchen and back to the silverware drawers. She ignored the handsome cook that was icing some cupcakes about six feet from her.

The girl gathered the utensils needed and turned to leave the kitchen, there must have been flower on the tile below her. As she turned she slid and fell down to one knee, dropping the silverware around her and cursing under her breath. Keiichiro flinched when she fell, he turned and approached her with a look of genuine concern.

"Momomiya-san! You all right?"

Ichigo groaned as she sat back on her rear and looked at her knee, she wiped the white powder off and looked at the red skin on her knee. Keiichiro frowned as she winced when she touched her own knee, she looked up at him,

"Sorry about that. Didn't mean to interrupt your cooking Akasaka-san. One sec-"

Ichigo moved to stand up, her knee ached. She would be fine, the aching just drove her nuts. Keiichiro scared her when he suddenly grabbed her and lifted her bridal style, her hands flew to grab a hold of his shoulders. The red head felt her face grow hot,

"Akasaka! What are you doing?"

Keiichiro set her gently on the table and knelt in front of her, observing her knee. He had his eyes locked on where the bruise was developing,

"I just want to take a look, can't be too careful. Would you mind if I wrapped it? The pressure will hopefully keep it from swelling."

The cat girl nodded as he stood up to look at her. Keiichiro got the first aid kit from a top cabinet, the girl's brown eyes locked on him the entire time. He knelt in front of her and gently wrapped her knee. Ichigo felt her face practically glow red when she realized where his face was and that she was wearing a skirt. Her hands flew to her lap and she pressed the fabric down, how embarrassing. He must have seen her underwear. Ichigo took a deep breath, she felt like such a ditz.

When he finished he stood up and smiled at her,

"There you are princess, hopefully it'll be better now. Let me know if you'd like a ride home or if it hurts at all."

The girl nodded, her thoughts racing. Keiichiro smiled warmly at her before going to wash his hands so he could continue working. Ichigo shook her head and darted out of the kitchen, forgetting the silverware.

…

'I can't believe I freaking fell in front of him. So embarrassing. Ugh.'

Ichigo thought to herself as she turned over in bed. Keiichiro was kind. She would admit he was quite handsome as well, but probably too old for her. Ichigo was almost to her 18th birthday and he was probably at least 23 or 24. Ichigo shook her head and covered her face, what was she thinking? She loved Masaya!

Her red hair was sprawled out on the pillow, she took a deep breath and looked up at her ceiling. She and Masaya had been having a lack of physical contact lately. It was embarrassing for her to think this way, but once they had decided to be physical together, she thoroughly enjoyed it. Recently, their schedules weren't allowing her to be with him long, or physically at all hardly. She got a kiss here and there, and the last time they had slept together was when her parents went on a day trip and they had the afternoon to themselves almost two weeks ago.

The mew turned over and wrapped the blanket around her tightly, closing her eyes. She couldn't believe she was like this now, it made her feel grown up.

…

Ichigo wasn't surprised when Masaya told her he'd be gone for a week at the summer camp at the zoo he worked at. He was going to be a camp counselor and had to stay on the premises. Needless to say she wasn't happy about it.

Keiichiro had been open and friendly with the girls all day. It really bothered her. Something about him made her feel drawn in. She felt attracted to him, in more than one way. The brunette was kind and handsome, he never was rude and was protective of the girls. Ichigo glanced into the kitchen, the cafe was slow today. He was humming again. A sigh escaped her lips as she eyed the chef.

Her thoughts wandered for the next few moments. Ichigo was curious as to what kind of boyfriend he would be. Would he surprise her? Would he treat his girlfriend like a princess? What was he like in bed? Did he cuddle a lot? He seemed like the type to cuddle. Ichigo felt her cheeks flush red, she couldn't believe that she was thinking about him. Masaya was hers, not Keiichiro. Keiichiro was her manager! She couldn't dare even to think of dating Keiichiro or Ryou!

The girl felt a chill run up her spine, making her inhale sharply. Was he even single?

What a question. She couldn't possibly ask one of her bosses if he was single. The red head dismissed the thought and got back to work for fear of starting an argument with Mint. But these thoughts stuck with her throughout the day. Ichigo wasn't sure why, but she felt an overwhelming feeling of curiosity as to whether he was single or not. None of the girls had ever asked him. He could be married for all she knows! Wait. No he couldn't, he didn't have a ring as far as Ichigo remembered. The redhead numbly took a couple's order, still pondering. Maybe he was married and took the ring off at work?

As the day progressed Ichigo had finally shaken the feeling and worked without much hesitation. However, towards the end of the day, she found herself to be the last one there. All the girls had left, and it was Ichigo's turn for clean up duty after her shift. The girl found herself wondering about him once more.

The lead mew poked her head in the kitchen window, looking to see if he was there. Some rustling noises came from the pantry, perhaps he was putting things away. Ichigo kept sweeping, wondering whether it would be inappropriate to ask him about his social life. Well, this wasn't even just his social life, it was his love life!

She found herself wandering into the kitchen, she swept a bit once inside. Keiichiro emerged from the pantry, a warm smile appeared on his face as his eyes met hers. Ichigo felt nervous suddenly.

"Hey Momomiya-san! Still here? Need any help?"

Ichigo shook her head and smiled back, feeling a bit panicked. She wanted to know so bad whether he had a girlfriend now. The brunette began wiping off the countertops, a slight smile on his lips. Ichigo paused in her sweeping, eyes glued to the back of his head. Perhaps it was the cat DNA inside her that made her so nosy and curious. She wasn't quite sure. She might as well ask, it'll drive her crazy if she doesn't know. She can always go home right away after asking if its awkward.

"Ak-Akasaka-san…"

Her cheeks felt warm, she was already stuttering. How immature. His response was cheery as usual,

"Yes?"

Ichigo took a shaky breath, she had to know. The girl continued, faking confidence,

"I just was curious. Are you single Akasaka?"

The brunette did exactly what she had hoped he wouldn't, he turned to look at her. His expression looked a bit surprised, she shifted and smiled awkwardly. He chuckled as he turned completely around and leaned against the counter,

"I am at the moment, why do you ask?"

Ichigo felt like her heart jumped in her throat, not something she was expecting him to ask. She shook the feeling and rubbed the back of her head,

"I was just wondering…"

She trailed off, she kicked herself mentally. Masaya would be hurt if he found out she was curious about Keiichiro. Ichigo's eyes were locked on his feet. The girl felt his eyes on her, she looked up hesitantly into his deep gray eyes. Keiichiro had a warm smile on his face,

"Its just fine Momomiya-san. I don't mind sharing a bit about myself with such a sweet girl."

His words were warm and made her feel shy, she couldn't believe he could make her feel like this by just speaking with her. Ichigo bit the bullet and locked eyes with him,

"Why are you so sweet to me Akasaka?"

Keiichiro chuckled and set the rag down behind him on the counter,

"You think I'm too sweet to you?"

She shook her head and waved her hands slightly,

"No of course not! I'm just curious. You're really sweet…"

"It's because you're special to me. You girls are very important to me."

He said girls. Plural. Ichigo felt like it was a kick to her stomach. Whatever it was that made her slightly interested in Keiichiro was driving her nuts. It was exciting, it was new. Keiichiro was a great guy, any girl would be lucky to have him. Ichigo just perhaps felt like she was particularly special to him, but she supposed that wasn't so. Now she knew he cared about all the girls, there was nothing there. Ichigo felt dumb. Why would she even do this? She blinked a few times, her eyes falling to his shoes.

She was quiet for a few long moments. Keiichiro noticed she seemed bothered. He walked forward, causing her eye to lock on the ground. Keiichiro was almost six foot two, much taller than Ichigo at just five foot five. He reached out and tilted her chin up, Ichigo felt her heart practically jump out of her chest. His mouth was curved in a kind smile, his hand was removed from her chin and back down by his side.

"Are you all right Momomiya-san?"

Ichigo could still feel where his warm fingers touched her chin. It felt electric. Her heart raced, she swallowed hard. Had she been hoping that he was going to say something else? Ichigo wasn't even sure herself. She nodded slowly, still mentally kicking herself. Keiichiro nodded,

"All righty then! You let me know if something is bothering you, Mmkay?"

The cat girl took a deep breath and smiled at him, "Yeah! Of course Akasaka!"

He chuckled as he returned back to his cleaning,

"You can call me Keiichiro, I don't mind either way."

[][][][][][][][][][]

MewMid: I love IchigoxKeiichiro, Perhaps I'll continue this if I get some reviews. It may be good as a oneshot…Hmm…

Let me know if anyone would like me to continue it! Or keep it as a oneshot!


	2. Troublesome Move

Description: Ichigo gets more and more anxious around Keiichiro and finds herself wanting to grow closer to him. This may begin to cause quite a few problems between her and her boyfriend. Can She be honest with Masaya with wants going on by the time he gets back?

Rating: T

[][][][][][][][][][]

Just his words had bothered her. They sunk into her mind and kept her occupied with her thoughts throughout the night. The cafe wasn't too busy today. Grey eyes met with brown eyes constantly throughout the day. He said 'girls'. Plural. He only cared about them all equally. The girl faked a smile to the incoming customers, her thoughts still bothering her.

Whatever it was about him that made her want him, she didn't know. Keiichiro smiled at the girls and kept himself at a normal distance from all of them. Towards the end of the day, she found herself growing more and more anxious. She didn't want to admit it to anyone, she wanted to get cleaning duty. Ichigo wanted to speak with him, make eye contact. Anything at all would suffice. She just wanted to be able to say she was closer to him than the other girls were.

Ichigo found herself staring through the kitchen window a bit too long, the sounds of dishes clanking together behind her. Her eyes were locked on the brunette that didn't face her. He was arm deep in the refrigerator, shifting things around to make room for the extra icing he had made. Ichigo took a shaky deep breath, she blinked and looked away and out to the cafe. Mint and Zakuro had already let out. Lettuce was trying not to break the dishes as she piled the last few from plates into a plastic carrier. Purin was bouncing about and wiping off the tabletops.

She practically jumped out of her skin when a tall man walked passed her. Ichigo yelped slightly and leaned against the wall to her left, staring in his direction. Keiichiro walked up the stairs, he hadn't noticed her little sound. The redhead felt a shock run up her spine when a blond girl's face got too close to hers.

"Ichigo-Chan! what are ya' doing na no da!"

The lead mew laughed awkwardly and shrugged,

"Just… Uh, got lost in my thoughts, thats all!"

Purin pushed out her lower lip and tilted her head, her weight shifting as well. The younger girls eyes were locked on Ichigos,

"You sure? You're acting weird."

Ichigo chuckled and stepped aside,

"Yeah, I'm good! Honest!"

After about twenty minutes, the other two girls had left the cafe. Ichigo found herself lingering around the first floor, she had already finished sweeping. Ichigo clenched the broom handle, what was she doing? Why was she waiting around for him? Her phone buzzed and broke her train of thought. She pulled out the phone, it was a text from Masaya.

'Hey sweetie! Have a good day?'

Ichigo sighed, she didn't feel up for talking really. The girl ran a hand over the back of her head, ruffling her hair a bit. She had a huge problem. Ichigo didn't know why she wasn't all peppy about Masaya anymore. Their relationship was so dull. She ached to spend more time with him, and do something exciting and meaningful. The boy didn't really have all the same interests that she thought they had. The girl shifted her weight, she missed cuddling and all the fun they used to have.

A sound came from above, the girl felt a rush of energy. Maybe he was coming back down?

Ichigo darted over and put the broom down, her eyes flew up the staircase. There wasn't anyone in her view, she bit her lip. Keiichiro had been up there for almost half an hour. Maybe he wasn't going to come back down. The girl cautiously found her way up the stairs, she could hear sounds from the nearby door. Ichigo approached the nearby door, it was across the hall from Ryou's room. She put her ear to the door, knowing full well what happened when she barged in on Ryou.

Keiichiro was definitely in there, she felt her cheeks flush pink. Why was she listening in on him? What a weirdo!

Ichigo covered her mouth and shook her head, the girl leaned closer to the door. She just wanted to talk with him, no harm in that right?

When her weight was against the door, the worst thing that could have happened, did. The door opened and Ichigo fell face first into a lean body, she yelped as she fell into him. Instinctively he grabbed her under the arms, his hands on her lower back. Ichigo's face was pressed into his hard chest, her face lit up in a bright red blush.

"Oh! Momomiya-san! Are you all right?"

Ichigo struggled to get her footing and when she did she stood up erect and stared at him with wide eyes. Her heart pounded in her chest,

"I'm so sorry Akas-Keiichiro!"

The baker smiled and nodded his head,

"It's totally fine Momomiya-san! I understand. I didn't mean to leave you downstairs alone, that was my mistake. Allow me to make it up to you and make some hot chocolate before you go."

The girl wasn't sure how to respond, her blush didn't fade much as he stepped around her. His shirt brushed her shoulder as he passed by and over to the top of the staircase. Ichigo followed hesitantly, she was unsure of how to react. He was just being nice, so why not comply?

Ichigo followed him into the kitchen and kept her eyes on him as he made some hot chocolate. It smelled delicious and warm, it made her smile wide. Ichigo shyly looked up at him as he set the mugs down on the table. He smiled and sat down across from her.

"There you are Momomiya-san! Sorry about the mishap a few minutes ago."

Ichigo shook her head, fighting the blush that threatened to return to her face.

"Its totally fine, that was all my fault. So sorry Ak-Keiichiro."

He glanced over at her, his head tilted to the side,

"Does it bother you to call me Keiichiro?"

She took a sip of the hot chocolate as he spoke, she shook her head as she set the mug down once again.

"Oh no, It's just I'm not used to it. You can call me Ichigo by the way! I don't mind at all."

Keiichiro smiled and took a sip of his hot chocolate, Ichigo observed him as he did so. His hands were long and masculine, her eyes fell to his face as the mug was moved. His deep gray eyes met her shiny brown ones. She smiled and looked down at her mug, uncomfortable with holding eye contact with him for very long. Keiichiro noticed, her eyes were down on the mug in front of her. She intrigued him. She was acting so strange. He wasn't sure what it was but it made him feel rather giddy inside. This was all very new and exciting.

He hadn't seen Masaya, he wasn't sure where he was or why he hadn't been around. Perhaps her strange behavior had something to do with his absence. Her fingers traced the mug in front of her, she had a small smile on her face. Keiichiro cleared his throat and shifted, uncomfortable as he looked at her lips.

His movement and noises made her glance up at him, she chuckled at him,

"What was that Keiichiro? You all right?"

He nodded and moved the mug to the other hand,

"Yeah, I apologize. I was getting lost in my thoughts."

Ichigo nodded and stared into his eyes,

"Yeah… That's been happening a lot to me lately too."

Keiichiro had a look of concern, his eyes kind,

"Are you okay? I mean, I haven't seen you around Aoyama-kun lately."

The girl seemed to shift and her eyes moved away, she was obviously uncomfortable. Keiichiro shook his head and reached across the table, grabbing one of her hands,

"I'm so sorry, forget I said anything. It wasn't my place."

Ichigo shook her head, feeling her cheeks grow red at the contact,

"It's…"

Her eyes shifted up and met his, the contact on her hand felt warm and inviting. She fought to find words,

"It's okay… I'm…"

Her words trailed off and she got lost staring at their hands. Keiichiro moved to pull his hand back, her shifted towards his. Ichigo then pulled her hand back quickly, realizing she enjoyed the contact far too much. It was so new, it was so exciting, it made her heart beat quickly. Ichigo forced herself to stand up,

"I-I should get going Keiichiro…"

The tall man stood up and walked over to the door behind her, he opened one of the saloon doors by reaching over her shoulder.

"If you insist Ichigo. I hope you liked your hot chocolate sweetheart."

Ichigo felt her body grow warm, she stood in front of the open door debating what to do. Keiichiro tilted his head, his eyes fixed on the back of her head. The redheaded girl felt compelled to turn around, she hesitantly did so. Big brown eyes looked up at him, he found himself smiling down at her casually. Ichigo looked like she was about to break down, her expression deep and contemplative. Her eyes locked on his lips, her breathing was slow and controlled.

Her body ached for that touch they had, it was so inviting and made her crave more. The girl wasn't sure why she was feeling so strange. It was as though she was having out of body experience, she didn't feel like herself. Her body felt warm and numb, but tingly at the same time. Slowly she leaned up towards him. Keiichiro arched his back, it made him move just a bit away from her. Ichigo leaned close, her body warm and making her more and more uncomfortable.

Keiichiro felt himself leaning his head down, his smile fading. Ichigo's stare was making him get lost in the moment. Her eyes were locked on his lips, he knew what she was going for. He should stop her. It wasn't right. She had Masaya as far as he knew. This was wrong. Before he could stop her, soft round lips pressed against his thinner ones. The contact was electric. Ichigo stood on her tip toes to reach his lips with her own. Keiichiro felt her hands grab onto his hips as she held herself up. The kiss was smooth, they both seemed to know how the other worked.

Keiichiro felt his whole body ache for the contact, he released the door and placed his hands around her in a warm embrace. Ichigo's soft lips made his whole body crave more contact from her. His hands moved no where provocative, they stayed on her lower back. All thoughts and hesitations seemed to fly out the window. The two of them ended up messing up each other's hair and pulling one another deeper into the kiss. She didn't care how old he was, what cared about was the fact that he was always here for her and wanted nothing more than to make her smile.

Ichigo's thoughts came back to her in a huge rush when her phone buzzed in her pocket. The redhead yanked out of the kiss and backed into the swinging saloon doors. Her cheeks burned red as she shook her head,

"I'm S-So sorry Akasaka-san!"

Keiichiro frowned at the formal title, he opened his mouth to speak but was cut off by her darting out of the room. Ichigo felt like she was on the verge of tears. She had gotten so lost, his hands felt so warm and strong on her back, holding her close. His lips invited her to explore further and pull him closer to her. Ichigo shook her head as she ran out of the cafe, darting off towards her house. She could't believe it. What she had done to Masaya. Keiichiro's warm expression was stuck in her brain. She shook her head more and thought of Masaya, frowning as tears boiled in her eyes.

What was she going to do now?

[][][][][][][][][][]

MewMid: PLEASE if you bothered reading it let me know how I did. Please give me some feedback! I love hearing other people's thoughts.

R and R! Pretty please! :D


	3. Guilty as Charged

Description: Ichigo has to break the news to Masaya, and face Keiichiro at work. What sort of decision will she make?

Rating: T just to be safe.

MewMid: Sorry for being dead the past few months, I've been busy with college. I'm going to be a police officer, so I've been pretty freaking busy. Forgive me guys! Hope you all still like it!

Yay updates!

[][][][][][][][][][]

The alarm clock was the worst sound she could hear at this moment. Her phone had a multitude of missed texts, and she couldn't stop thinking of her mistake last night with Keiichiro. Dark rings under her eyes were evident as she slumped out of bed and glanced in the mirror. Her hair was a mess, she hadn't slept well at all.

The warm embrace she shared with Keiichiro was all she could think of. However, the worst thought in her head, was how to break the news to Masaya. She couldn't stay with him after kissing another guy. Guilt made her stomach twist into a hard knot as she imagined Masaya's reaction. She cheated!

"Oh my god what am I gonna do!"

She groaned, turning away from the mirror and burying her face in her hands. There was no way she could just tell him. She didn't have the guts. Masaya's love for her was what saved the world, and here she was betraying him. Ichigo hesitantly looked up at her clock, it was time for her to go to the cafe.

…

It was as though all eyes were on her, even though no one was looking at her directly. Ichigo walked through the cafe, keeping her head down. She felt like everyone knew about her and Keiichiro. Narrow brown eyes glared at her when she looked up, a certain blue haired mew was sitting ahead of her. Ichigo stared right back at her,

"What's your problem?"

Ichigo spat bitterly, earning a gasp from the tea sipping mew. Mint grit her teeth and stood up,

"I didn't even say anything! What crawled up your-"

Before she could finish, their blond manager barked at the two of them.

"You two knock it off and get to work. The cafe is officially open now, I don't need you two idiots crawling all over each other."

The two girls didn't say another word to one another, and began their usual cafe duties. The entire morning, Ichigo could hear Keiichiro when he would interact with the others, but she was too ashamed to look at him. As she was serving a table, a familiar voice stood out among all the others. She felt as though she was frozen, her eyes glancing towards the cafe doors.

There he was.

His jet black hair was combed today, a smile on his face as he greeted Lettuce at the podium. Masaya was so charming, so likable. He was so freaking perfect. Ichigo bit her lip as he made eye contact with her, too perfect. Too bland.

The boy made his way through the crowded morning traffic of the cafe and up to her, his arms outstretched for a hug. Ichigo hesitantly returned his embrace, it felt alien to her. She didn't feel the same, she felt guilty. As he released her, she glanced to her left, to avoid his eyes. A soft pair of grey eyes met with hers, peering out from the kitchen window.

Her heart felt like it shattered into a million pieces when she saw the hurt in his eyes. Keiichiro never looked like this, the moment was brief. His head lowered and he resumed what he was doing. Ichigo felt so terribly guilty, Keiichiro must have begun to have feelings for her too.

"Are you listening to me Ichigo?"

The redhead reluctantly looked back up to him, his expression flooded with concern. Ichigo nodded slowly, motioning for him to follow her. Masaya was visibly confused, following the girl behind the wall separating the main room from the staff area. The small hall divided the kitchen from the main sitting area. It was dim, and quieter.

"Ichigo-"

"I have to tell you something."

She practically spat the sentence, looking at him with desperation in her eyes. The two stood quietly for a few moments, he didn't understand what was going on.

"What's bothering you?"

Ichigo rocked back on her heels, looking around, very stressed. Her voice seemed to soften,

"I'm… I think we should take a break…I need to think some things-"

"What! Ichigo, are you serious?"

He interrupted, his eyes wide. Masaya took a step back, not fully understanding the situation. He loved her. More than loved her. It was their love that saved the world, that was irreplaceable. The now timid girl's eyes started to water, she fumbled over her words,

"I'm… going through some weird things right n-now. I just want some time to think… I'm sorry Masaya! I really didn't want to hurt you! I j- just…"

While she trailed off, Masaya wiped the corners of his eyes. He shook his head,

"I don't understand…We-"

"We need some time apart, please… if you love me, let me g-go…"

Masaya was silent. The sounds of the cafe were all they could hear. Ichigo felt as though she was going to throw up, she couldn't believe what she was doing. They had been together for so long, how could she do this to him?

He slowly collected his thoughts, her words were sinking in. He barely spoke,

"O-okay Ichigo… Just… call me when you figure things out. I love you."

His last three words made her cover her mouth with her hand, tears rolling down her cheeks. Ichigo shook her head as he slowly walked away, looking back at her with regret. Her back collided with the wall as she sank to the floor, sobbing into her hand quietly. Ichigo shook her head slowly, she couldn't believe what she had just done. It had to be done. She kissed Keiichiro, she couldn't face Masaya knowing what she did.

Of course, the chef came out of the kitchens saloon doors to her right. His eyes fell to her, he immediately stepped forward and knelt in front of the mew.

"Oh, Ichigo, what happened?"

The girl writhed to the left, avoiding his eyes. She sobbed into her arms as quietly as she could, her throat in a heavy knot. Ichigo shook her head, not able to form words because of her cries. The brown haired man contemplating leaving her alone. Keiichiro knew she shouldn't have kissed him, as much as he liked her, he couldn't believe he let her do that.

It was his fault. He should have stopped her.

Keiichiro reached out, gently pulling her shoulders so she would be forced to look at him.

"You should take the rest of the day off. You seem too upset."

Ichigo hated taking off work, but he was right. She slowly nodded her head, her big watery eyes gazing up at him. Keiichiro patted her head and stood up, holding his hand out to her. The cat girl daintily took his hand and stood up, her knees wobbly. Keiichiro walked her to the door, but the girl didn't even turn around to face him as she exited the cafe.

The girls all gawked at them while carrying out their cafe duties, not sure as to why their leader was going home. Mint shook her head, of course Keiichiro would walk her to the door. Everyone always made Ichigo the favorite.

The brunette man stood in the doorway as the girl walked away from the entrance of the cafe. She had her head down, she didn't even look back.

Keiichiro felt torn, he wanted to comfort her, but at the same time, he knew he shouldn't. He couldn't make the problem worse. He wasn't sure what was going to happen now. Could he pursue a girl so much younger than himself?

Keiichiro sighed and walked back into the cafe, avoiding eye contact with everyone as he did so. Ichigo was so sweet, so precious, she was so out of his reach. He mentally kicked himself for thinking of her in this way. He couldn't do this to their relationship, this wasn't like him at all. Keiichiro had never been the type to go after someone who was not available. He was an adult, he should be acting like it. After slumping back into the kitchen, he resumed his work, deep in thought about the mistakes.

…

After getting home, Ichigo curled up in bed alone. She felt sick. The lead mew couldn't believe herself, what she had done. Keiichiro didn't deserve to be in this situation. Not in a million years would she have imagined she would be involved with Keiichiro. He's an older guy, she didn't even know his real age!

Her soft pillow caressed her face, making her snuggle in. She wouldn't get out of bed. Not today.

A ring on her cell made her open one eye and glance over at it. A text? A voicemail?

The cat girl groaned and grabbed the device, glancing at who it was from. To her surprise, it was a text from Lettuce.

::Hey, just checking to see if you're okay… You seemed upset today. Everything all right?::

How on Earth can she respond to this? Should she tell her, or keep her problems to herself?

[][][][][][][][][][]

MewMid: Again, sorry I was dead. It's hard updating stories, taking classes, and trying to update my deviantart page.

R and R baby! Love you guys!


End file.
